Patients who are artificially respirated over a rather long period of time must receive humidified and temperature-controlled breathing gas. A humidifier, which increases the concentration of water vapor in the gas to be breathed in and heats it to a suitable temperature, is arranged in the inspiration line for this purpose.
A respirator with a humidifier appears, for example, from EP 274 996 B1. The humidifier is arranged in the inspiration line of the respirator. Water is heated with a heating device to the extent that it can be mixed as water vapor with the inhaled gas. The heating device is connected to a control device, and the control device additionally detects the temperature of the inhaled gas in the vicinity of the patient by means of a temperature sensor. The humidifier and the respirator are separate components, which do not exchange any information.
If settings are changed on the respirator, corresponding adaptations must also be made mostly on the control device of the humidifier. Setting the humidifier such that a breathing gas humidity and breathing gas temperature that are suitable for the patient are sent without condensation of water occurring or without the gas mixture containing too little moisture for the patient depends on the user's experience.